Sacramento daily record-union., 1887-08-13
HIGH LICENSE.
THE CITY COLLECTOR TELLS HOW
1T WORKS IN CHICAGO.
The Number of Saloons Great,v nj
minished and the Revenue
Greatly Increased.
ICnicaro Inter-oo00n l

Sh4g peSu Oue III the United States. but
also in countries beyond the seas. Per
haps no city has given high license a more
thorough test than Chicago, and it is GER
tain no man in this city is more familiar
with the practical workings of the system
IN all It's details than City Collector Ona-
han, who has held that position for a score
of years. Some time since J. Hayes Sad
Ter, the British Consul in this city. adj
dressed letter TO Mr. Onahan, asking for
such information as he possessed in relation
to the matter. In replying to his inter
rogatories Mr.. Onahan SAYS:
Under the operation of 4he higlI-Iieense
law IN Chicago the revenue derived from
saloon licenses has increased from 5000. .OOO
per annuIn 70 nearly 100000. The for
mer rate was So per annum. 1t is now
5000. Under the old rate there were in
1852 nearly 1000 saloons in the city,
There are now 8, 300, xot very signal
DrmINUTToN IN NUMBER
Apparently, but it is to be remarked in ex-
PLANTATION that the city has grown enor-
mously IA population and in business since
1852, and moreover, a considerable area OF
territory has since been added. / am per
suaded that had the former low license
prevailed up to the present time there
would have been fully 5000 saloons in
Chicago. An additional significant fact is
that the brewers, who largely control and
influence the saloon traffic, actually paw
the licenses for, / should say, one-half OF
the saloons. This is done by way of ad-
vances or accommodation. Were the brew
ers TO refuse their aid and decline to adj
vance the money to pay saloon licenses.
am satisfied the result would be 1000
fewer saloons in the city.
What has been the effect on the con-
sumption Of liquor and on drunkenness %
My answer will necessarily be of gen
eral nature, and will be based on nv own
observation, and on such official and other
data as are brought TO my notice. This
includes also the experience and obserya-
tion OF many local clergymen of different
denominations with whom | have had op-
portunlty to discuss the subject. | firmly
believe the kigh-icense law has operated
to diminish considerably the consumption
OF spirituous liquors in the city. Its first
effect was 10 abolish the acknowledged
evils of bars in the grocery stores-that is,
in shops and places where
PROVISIONS AND HOUSEHOLD SUPPLIES
Were fot sale-places frequented princi-
pally by the families of the workingmen.
This brought the bar or drinking place
home, 50 to say to the poor mans wife and
children, and naturally proved constant
danger and standing menace to his home
peace and a certain drain on his scanty
earnings. Many home and family, /
doubt not, has been ruined by this too fa-
miliar proximity to the bottle and the bar
rel. The high-license system likewise put
an end to large number of what may be
termed " neighborhood" saloons-that is,
small bar-rooms and groceries in locali-
ties chiefly occupied by the poorer classes.
Such places could exist, and even thrive
under S52 license rate, but could not live
under $500 license fee.
Drunkenness, and the habit of drinking
in saloons and public places, | believe has
sensibly diminished of late years, partly
because of the reasons and causes alluded
to, but principally and especially from
First, the growing public sentiment of
the country on the subject of drink an in
creased horror of drunkenness and deeper
sense Of The social moral and public evils
brought on the community by the curse
of intemperance.
Second, the efforts of the temperance
and total abstinence societies all over the
country, and especially the significant atti-
tude adopted by the Catholic Church, and
the powerful efforts put forth bv that and
other religious bodies and societies. to
stem, and if possible to eradicate altogether,
the drunk plague, and to band men and
woneT fatraf har r,la1eraI 10
TEmPERANCE AND soBRIETY.
Third, the action of the powerful organ
ization, the Knights of Labor, in DENYING
membership to osaloon-keepers. and requir-
ing that the chief officers of the organiza-
ton shall be required to take and keep the
pledge OF total abstinence while holding
official positions i'll the brotherhood.
All these agencies have exercised pow
erful restraining influence of late years,
and, no doubt, have contributed to the
more general growth and propagation of
temperance habits and temperance priaci-
pies, especially and happily on the part OF
the classes most liable to suffer from this
evil habit | may add also that the more
general substitution of domestic beer and
of native wines as a beverage in the place
of whisky and brandy, has aided in this
reform.
The official statistics of arrests, as pub
lished in the annual reports of our police
department, do not furnish exactly the
specific data on this subject essential to
shew the arrests for drunkenness and from
crime arising from drink However. the
experience of our Police Court Judges and
the chief officers of our city police, will
bear me out in the assertion that as intem-
peranoe diminishes so crime decreases
Eighty per cent. of the cases brought be-
fore our Police Courts proceed from drink
SOME OF OUR JUDGES
Say ninety per cent. Nearly all the muir
ders committed in Chicago within my
recollection were caused directly or iEdi-
xectly by drink.
Has the effect of high-lieense been fol-
the well-being of the community
] answer yes, emphatically yes. There
is but one opinion among impartial and
thoughtful citizens on the subject. High
license, OF course, does not and will not
eradicate or cure the evil of intemperance.
1t serves rs means TO regulate and to
control the saloons, and it does operate to
limit the number. Were the license still
higher in amount the number would be
still iurtheT ulfnlnlsncu. Dut even illSfl-
license will not of itself operate to close
up the lowest and worst class of drinking
places The only way is to deny such
places license on any terms; shut them up
and keep them shut, and this power i:
within the scope and reach of the munich
pal authority An important reform in
this respect has been and is being effected
under the present city administration
But to radically cure the evil of drunken.
ness laws and licenses are not and cannot
be effective, though they may aid in the
good work. Moral suasion, religious teach
ing
THE INFLUENCE OF EXAMPLE,
These, in my judgment, are the true meth
ods and agencies. Public opinion is every.
where growing and intensifying through
out the United States regarding the terri
bic effects of the drink plague and the
moral, social and political evils which fol
low in its disastrous train. The demand
for repressiye legislation in the form o
high-license, local option, and even pro
bihito,-v laws seem to steadily grow OF